New Executive Publisher Takes 30-Year-Old Publishing House Back to its Roots
by Staff
May 15, 2008
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., (christiansunite.com) -- Everything old is new again at NavPress, the publishing arm of The Navigators. Over its 30-year history NavPress has had its share of ups and downs in the modern world of publishing."As with most organizations that have been around for a while, there comes a time when you need to get back to your core and re-discover what it is that makes you unique," says Mike Miller, the new Executive Publisher with NavPress. "Moving forward, there will be significant changes in the way we do publishing."
Miller brings a wealth of experience outside of publishing to his new position at NavPress. The former Baptist minister and LifeWay executive was one of the founders of GodTube, the Christian alternative to the wildly popular Internet site YouTube.
When asked what brought Mike to NavPress, he answers without hesitation. "It's because of the 75- year history and heritage of The Navigators. The Navigators are known for being a people who have been transformed by the Gospel of Jesus and carry in their hearts the passion for life transformation. The NavPress brand is highly regarded and respected throughout the world for publishing the spiritual- formation, life-altering messages of The Navigators," says Miller.
The ministry of The Navigators began in the 1930s through the call of God to a young Californian, Dawson Trotman. Trotman's vision was to teach to others, one-on-one, the biblical principles of discipleship he found beneficial in his own life. He began to teach high school students and local Sunday school classes. In 1933 he and his friends extended their work to reach out to sailors in the U.S. Navy. >From there Trotman met and established a partnership with the then up-and-coming preacher/evangelist, Billy Graham.
"The rest is history. The Navigators' influence is everywhere," Miller observes. "Many of the largest and most well-known faith-based organizations throughout the world have been seeded by the ministry of The Navigators. Other publishers are stand-alone and not connected to anything," Miller continues. "At NavPress we are first and foremost Navigators." Miller is the first Executive Publisher at NavPress to sit on The Navigators National Leadership Team.
"We must be intentional about distributing culturally relevant, biblically based materials that engage individuals wherever they are on their journey toward God," Miller concludes. "We will get back to our roots and be who we are--a mission based, servant publisher."
MIKE MILLER earned a B.A. from Oklahoma Baptist University, an M.B.A. from Dallas Baptist University, an M.D.I.V. from Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX, and a D.M.I.N. from Talbot Theological Seminary in Los Angeles, CA. He has been the youth minister for Dickson Baptist Church, Choctaw, Oklahoma; the Associate Pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, Mansfield Texas; the Founding Co-Pastor of Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield California; and the Executive Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas,Texas.
As a businessman Miller served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at LifeWay Church Resources and was a founding partner and chief marketing officer for GodTube.com prior to coming to NavPress.
